ABC earned strong numbers for Sunday’s NBA doubleheader.
The Thunder/Lakers NBA regular season game drew a 4.9 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon, up 20% from Bulls/Heat last year (4.1), and down a tick from Celtics/Lakers in 2011 (5.0).
Excluding Christmas Day games, the 4.9 is the fourth-highest for a regular season NBA game on ABC since the network resumed airing games in the 2002-03 season. Only Heat/Lakers last year (5.2), Celtics/Lakers in 2011, and Lakers/Cavaliers in 2009 (5.0) earned better numbers.
Earlier Sunday, the Heat/Celtics game drew a 3.8 overnight — up 23% from Heat/Thunder in 2011 (3.1). There was no comparable game last year.
Locally, Thunder/Lakers drew an 18.9 rating in Oklahoma City and a 10.1 in Los Angeles. The 18.9 in Oklahoma City is the second-best ever for an NBA regular season game on ABC in the market. The Heat/Celtics game earned a 10.1 in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale and a 5.4 in Boston.
Wrapping up the Sunday schedule, Hawks/Knicks drew a 1.3 overnight on ESPN.
(Sunday’s numbers from ESPN)
